New York to London
by allymac11
Summary: This is a Darren Criss and Chris Colfer fic. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! This is my Darren Criss and Chris Colfer fic. I hope you like it! Review if you do :)  
>Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with Darren Criss, Chris Colfer, FOX, or Glee. <strong>

Darren watched as his breath formed small puffs of white as he breathed in and out. He was in the center of Trafalgar Square waiting for his ex-wife and their daughter, Lea. It was the middle of October but London already felt like being trapped in an ice box. Darren could've sworn he heard Lea's squeal, but when he turned he found a small girl with her mother instead.  
>"I'm an awful father." It wasn't a lie, yet nor was it the truth. The minute Darren had told Jenna, his ex, he wanted a divorce she had whisked herself and Lea away to London, where her parents are currently residing. That had been the last time he had seen Lea. That was three years ago. Darren had been saving every penny that he could afford to for this trip. It was Lea's fifth birthday and all Lea had asked Jenna for was to see her father. Much to Jenna's dismay, she asked Darren to fly into Heathrow for the party on the 17th of October and promptly leave on the 19th. He had agreed and had spent nearly every waking moment preparing for it. After countless hours of arts and crafts and many phone calls to London to question Jenna about Lea's favorite things, the perfect present was complete. He was sure that Lea would love it.<p>

"Darren." It was an instantly recognizable voice; cold and steady.

"Jenna! Oh man, it's been a long time! How've ya been?"

"Quite all right, thank you." Darren thought he detected traces of a British accent in her voice.

"That's great! You look great! So…where's Lea?" It was the question Darren had been itching to ask Jenna the second her saw her as there was no sight of his brown-haired daughter anywhere.

"You'll see her later tonight at the party. I wanted to meet with you first so that we could go over a few ground rules and so that you could meet my fiancé, Karl." Darren's heart sunk as the thought of another man, another father, watching his daughter grow up here in London, while he was far away in New York. A tall, broad shouldered man appeared out of what seemed like nowhere. He had thin blonde hair that was balding in one spot and a wiry mustache that had flecks of white in it. His plaid shirt looked thin and weather worn and his brown loafers were covered in scuff marks and holes. He was not wearing a jacket of any sort, which Darren thought to be a bit odd considering the temperature was almost freezing.

"Hello! I'm Karl, what a pleasure it is to meet you! I've been hearing about you for weeks and weeks, nonstop! You're all Lea can talk about. Of course, soon I'll be father to her as well, so hopefully she'll brag as much about me as she does you. But, considering I'll always be there for her when you won't…" he let that sink in for a moment and waited for the shame to pass over Darren's face before continuing.

"I'm sure she'll love me just as much, if not more, than you." Darren could have sworn he saw Jenna give Karl a reassuring smile as he stuck out his hand to shake Darren's. Darren merely stepped aside, however.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Karl. I might just be here to stay." Even as the words came out of his mouth he knew they were a lie. There would be no way that he could stay in London. Not with his family back home, his singing job at Ellen's Stardust Diner and his other job as a music teacher in a daycare. Everything was in New York for him and there was no way that he could leave it. Nonetheless, he was enjoying the shocked faces of Jenna and Karl.

"I-I'm sorry? You're moving here?" The look on Jenna's face was pure outrage; it had been clear that she was looking to cut Darren out of Lea's life forever.

"I might…I might. I've been thinking of it for a while now. It would be fantastic to see my daughter every day, considering it's so rare that I ever see her nowadays. But enough about plans for the future, I believe it's party time?" Darren picked up his briefcase that contained the first part of Lea's present and walked to the curb to call a cab.

"I suppose you two will want to take your own cab, yes?" The duo stood with grim faces and nodded their heads once. Darren raised his hand to gesture a goodbye and slid onto the shiny leather seats of the cab.

"Where are you headed, sir?" came the cab drivers crisp voice.

"Uh…hang on; I know I've got it somewhere." He fumbled around in his briefcase as he searched for the address to his hotel and the party.

"Is it all right if we stop at my hotel for a moment and then continue to my other destination?"

"It's going to cost ya another pound, but sure." The rest of the ride remained silent until they reached the St. Giles Hotel & Leisure club. Darren dashed up to his suite and quickly grabbed his microphone (bedazzled with pink jewels for the occasion), the piñata, and the life-size card he had made for her. Everything else was already set up at the party venue that it was being held at. Darren tore out of the room and jumped back into the cab to tell the driver to "please drive to 51 Abbey Street, and fast." It was only a matter of minutes before they arrived at their destination.

"That'll be 5 pounds." Darren passed over the money and a few extra bills.

"Keep the change, thanks so much for the ride!" He bolted out of the cab and into the venue where he found Jenna's parents stringing decorations. The venue was just as he had left it this morning; the pink stage was in the front of the room and the pink and purple circular tables were lined up in front of it. Each table had about ten facts about Lea and a few pictures of her from when she was younger. Jenna had wanted to help plan the party, but Darren had refused. This was his special gift to his precious little girl. Jenna's parents had offered to drive all of the young girls to the venue, however, and Darren accepted this offer graciously. Nancy and John Wolvak were already at the venue when Darren arrived. Nancy was young to be a grandmother, only 54. She had brown hair which she wore in the style of a short bob and kind hazel eyes. She was wearing a pink cardigan over a white top and regular mom jeans with sneakers. John Wolvak was 57. He was one of the smartest people on this planet in Darren's eyes. He had worked as a marine biologist for 27 years before retiring a few years ago. He had thinning grey hair and dark blue eyes which were often hidden behind his glasses. He was dressed in a button down plaid shirt with dark brown trousers. They were the nicest couple that Darren had ever met.z

"Hello, Mr. Wolvak! Oh, and hello to you too, Mrs. Wolvak! Thank you again for helping me put up the streamers. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it in time. The place looks fantastic!"

"You're welcome, Darren. Lea is so excited to see you! This is a wonderful thing you're doing for her, you know." Darren felt his cheeks turn hot. He wasn't used to being praised by adults, after all his parents were hardly there throughout his childhood and his grade school teachers rarely paid attention to the quiet boy in the corner.

"Oh, it's really nothing. I could've come up with something bigger and better if I had more time. I think I really owe this to her though, you know? I haven't seen her in ages. I hope you know that I didn't do that intentionally, however. I never wanted Jenna to take her away from me; I didn't want a separation in our family like this. After the court ordered me to pay 2,000 dollars in alimony each month, I just didn't have the money to support her and Jenna, pay rent on my apartment, still put food on my table, _and _come here. I wish it wasn't the case, I really wish it wasn't."

"Oh, Darren, we know. We're very upset about the way Jenna has been towards you, and please, believe us when we say that we still think of you as a son-in-law. You've been nothing but kind to us since you came into our lives. You still call to wish us happy birthdays and on holidays, the cards you send, the gifts, and the things you do for Lea are heartening." Darren once again felt the color rising in his face and was glad when Jenna and Karl appeared.

"Lea is just outside now, so Darren you better get ready to do your thing while we bring the girls in." Darren nodded and positioned himself behind the curtain on the stage. He reached for the pink bedazzled microphone with his shaking hands and told himself that everything would go smoothly.

"Where is he? Where is he, Mom? I want to see him! I miss him!" Darren smiled to himself as he heard Lea's protests against having to wait to see him. He heard oo's and ah's from the other girls as they admired the pink and purple decorations that he had picked out earlier in the week.

"Okay, girls, listen up," said Mr. Wolvak.

"Lea's dad is here and he has a special treat for Lea so let's all take a seat at one of the tables in front of the stage!" Darren was getting more nervous by the second. He was waiting for the cue that from Mr. Wolvak that would mean all of the girls were seated and that he could begin. After what seemed like an eternity, the giggles subsided and the room was quiet. Mr. Wolvak cleared his throat quite loudly. It was his queue. The lights in the room dimmed and the black curtains pulled apart. The beat of 'Father and Daughter' by Paul Simon began playing. Darren stepped out and let the neon light wash over him. He spotted Lea almost immediately; she was in the front and center nearly falling off her chair, as if she thought it would lessen the distance between herself and her father. _My word,_ thought Darren, _she's gotten so big. And she looks like me! I think…yes, look! She has my curls and my eyes. I'm so lucky to be blessed with her…I hope she likes my song. _The intro of the song ended just as Darren flicked on the microphone. Darren sang with his all. He let his heart pour out to the daughter whom he missed so much. _I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow _sang Darren as he paraded around the venue singing. He saw tears fall from Mrs. Wolvak's eyes and they somehow triggered some of his own. Darren was now right in front of Lea. He kneeled down so that they were eye level as he sang the last line. _There could never be a father who loved you more than I love you. _Claps erupted from all around him. Lea through her arms around her father and locked him in a death grip.

"Daddy, I missed you so much! I'm so happy you're here! I told Mama that all I wanted for my birthday was for you to come to London and now you're here and I'm so happy! I love you, Daddy!" Darren was now crying so hard that he saw no use in trying to stop them. He whisked Lea up in his arms and hugged her.

"I love you too, Lea. I never stopped caring about you and I'm so sorry that I've been gone for so long. But that's going to change now, okay? I'm going to be around for a while." Lea smiled and hugged her father one more time before taking his hand and pulling him over to meet all of her friends. After many piggy back rides and a few more songs that the girls requested (Best of Both Worlds by Hannah Montana, Mine by Taylor Swift, and Bad by Michael Jackson) it was time for pizza and cake. Darren helped Mr. Wolvak pass out the pizza to each girl as Mrs. Wolvak placed the candles on the cake.

"Where did Jenna and Karl disappear to this time, Nancy?"

"Oh, who knows, John, who knows? It's a shame, though, really. You'd expect Jenna to stay for her daughter's birthday party but I guess not." Darren found this to be odd, too, but chose to brush it off as he took a seat next to Lea.

"Oh my goodness gracious, Daddy! Look at your shirt! It says Lea! That's me, I'm Lea!" Darren laughed at this.

"Yes, yes you are. I made this shirt especially for you, actually. You can keep it if you'd like." Once all of the pizza plates were cleared away the cake was brought out and Darren took the stage for the second time that night to sing 'Happy Birthday'. As soon as he had stepped on stage though, Karl and Jenna came through the door laughing like mad men and stumbling.

"Lea, b-baybay!" Jenna's words were slurred and accompanied by a stutter.

"Jenna Wolvak, what do you think you're doing here when you're intoxicated like this?" Mrs. Wolvak's face was painted with utter shock and disappointment. Mr. Wolvak was trying to get the other girls attention away from the scene. Jenna let her grip on the door handle go and stumbled over to a confused Lea. Darren could only see the worst coming, due to his own experience with drunken parents. He acted without thinking; he jumped off of the stage and swooped down on Lea to lift her onto his shoulders.

"Wee! This is so fun! Don't drop me, Daddy!" This had averted the girls' attention to him. Jenna had once again let go of the object that she was using as her support, but this time she fell straight to the floor.

"Jenna Marie Wolvak! You are not only causing a disturbance at this party but you are also embarrassing yourself greatly!" The look on Nancy Wolvak's face was murderous. Darren was afraid of what she might have done if Mr. Wolvak hadn't grabbed his keys and taken Karl and Jenna home in a hurry. The rest of the party continued on for about an hour longer. Games of freeze dance and twister were played and the piñata wound up being smashed to pieces with one hit by one of Lea's friends, Heather. Mrs. Wolvak was helping the girls into their coats when Mr. Wolvak pulled Darren aside.

"Look, I don't think it would be right to take Lea home to Jenna's tonight. I'm heading back there to make sure that she and Karl stay out of trouble for the rest of the night as soon as I drop Nancy off at our loft. If you'd like, I think it would be a good opportunity for you and Lea to bond if you took her for the rest of the night. If that interferes with any other arrangements that you have already made, however, Nancy says that she will watch her."

"Of course I'll take her! You didn't even need to ask."

"Great! The party is about done now. Lea will want to want to wait until all of the guests are gone before leaving. Why don't you go and tell her the news?" Darren looked over to Lea in her multi-colored striped coat. Her brown hair was in a small bun and she was talking excitedly with her friends.

"I want to be a good dad," whispered Darren.

"You are, Darren. Now, go tell your daughter that she will get to spend more time with you before you leave tomorrow night." Darren stood up and walked over to Lea who was saying goodbye to her last guests.

"AWESOME PARTY! See you at school, Lea!"

"Bye, Heather! Thanks!" Darren smiled for the thousandth time that night. That meant he had done at least one thing right.

"Hey, Lea, guess what?"

"What, Daddy?"

"You're going to stay at my house tonight! My hotel, I mean. Well, no, it's not my hotel but…you know what I mean. You're a smart girl. Oh, and you don't have to stay. Only if you want! It would be really—"

"Daddy, daddy, daddy, no need to ramble," Darren couldn't help but laugh at his daughter's matureness.

"Of course I want to stay at your hotel! We can watch all of my favorite movies and read my favorite stories…" Now it was Lea who was rambling. She rattled off about ten more things that they could do together, but Darren wasn't listening. He was too focused on the fact that his daughter still loved him and accepted him even though he had been gone for so much of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, everyone! I have a few things to tell you. First of all, thank you so much to everyone who added this story to their favorites, story alerts, and reviewed it. You made me smile big time! Second of all, my dance recital is this week so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. Third is...I'M MEETING DARREN CRISS IN JULY! I'm so excited! I really love Darren, he's my role model (well along with Emma Watson and Lea Michele). Again, please review if you like it!  
>Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with Darren Criss, Chris Colfer, FOX, or Glee.<br>Also, I saw H2$ back in March and it was amazing. If you love Daniel Radcliffe or Broadway shows in general then I suggest you go see it. Oh, and the two fourteen year old girls meeting Dan is based off of when I met him after H2$. He's so sweet! **

_You got me a rocking and a reeling, oh ho yeah! _Darren and Lea were in Nancy Wolvak's car heading to the St. Giles hotel. They had stopped to get Lea's pajamas and a set of clothes for tomorrow (she had modeled about seven different outfits before choosing one). Lea had insisted on bringing movies and books as well. She and Darren had picked out _Beauty and The Beast, Snow White _and for a book they chose _Goodnight, Moon. _Now they were in the car listening to Nancy's copy of Fleetwood Mac's _Rumors.  
>I…I don't want to knooow <em>was the last line that they had belted out together.

"I love that song. Grandma always plays it for me when she drives me to school." Darren frowned at the thought of this.

"Your mother doesn't drive you to school?" They were now pulling into the parking lot of the hotel. The entire hotel was gleaming neon with signs. It took about five minutes to get Lea off of the subject of how pretty the lights were and back on the topic of Jenna.

"No. She never takes me. She and Karl, I mean Dad, he told me that I should call him that—" Darren slammed on the break and the car lurched forward. His stomach had formed a huge knot and there was a lump forming in his already dry throat.

"Please…don't call him that, Lea." Tears were sparking behind his eyes and were threatening to spill out.

"Don't worry; I don't ever call him that. Only to his face so that Mom won't get mad at me again. But anyways, she doesn't take me to school because she always has headaches from coming home late. She calls them her late-night headaches. It's okay though because Karl always comes with her so I know that she isn't out alone." Darren had pulled Lea's bag out of the trunk and slung it over his shoulder. He was sure that Lea's sudden fit of giggles was from seeing her dad carrying a pink backpack with Hannah Montana on it.

"First of all, who stays with you when your mother isn't home?" This was worrying Darren. If he found out that Lea had been staying home alone when she was only five…he didn't know what he would do.

"Grandma stays with me until I fall asleep. Maybe longer. I don't really know. But she's always there when I wake up so she can take me to school. She also picks me up and takes me back to her house until bed time. Only sometimes Mom picks me up." Darren didn't think it would be appropriate to continue this conversation with his daughter any longer. _Why would Jenna have her mother take care of Lea after she insisted and fought with Darren that Lea should stay with her? _

"Ooh, Daddy, look at those gold carts! I want to ride one! Can I? Can I please, Daddy? _Pretty _please with cherries on top?" She was referring to the luggage carts that the bellhops were wheeling around. Lea was sticking out her bottom lip in an attempt to get Darren to succumb to her cuteness. It had worked. He had already known the answer when he walked up to the front desk, but he had to ask for Lea.

"Uh, excuse me, sir?" The manager looked up with his eyebrow raised. He resembled someone Darren had gone to college with. He had brown hair that was styled neatly and looked like he put a lot of effort in his outfit. If his expression had been softer then he definitely could have passed as one of Darren's old friends. For a brief moment Darren's mind wandered to Chris, a man whom he had been his roommate when he was at NYU. He had been Darren's best friend for four years. Graduation day had changed everything; Chris went off to pursue acting and singing on Broadway and television while Darren was stuck at his grandparent's paying off student loans.

"Sir, I said, may I help you?" The manager was clearly annoyed. Darren must have been zoning out for longer than he thought.

"I was wondering, is it possible that my daughter could, um, maybe ride on one of those?"

"No."

"Oh. Well…thanks." Lea's expression resembled utter disappointment. It broke Darren's heart to see her upset over such a petty thing. The pair gathered their belongings and entered the elevator. Darren was trying to think of ways to make Lea happy again when they came face-to-face with none other than the Daniel Radcliffe.

"OH MY GOSH. YOU'RE DANIEL RADCLIFFE!" Lea's mouth was in the shape of a perfect 'o'. Daniel smiled and bent down so that he was at eye level with her.

"Hi! I'm Daniel, what's your name?" Darren was smiling so big that he was sure he would wake up with a sore face in the morning. Daniel Radcliffe was one of Lea's favorite actors according to Mrs. Wolvak.

"I'm Lea! And this is my dad. His name is Darren! Do you know what today is?"

"No, Lea, I'm afraid I don't. What is today?"

"MY BIRTHDAY! It's the best birthday ever because my daddy came all the way to London from New York and I met you!"

"It's your birthday? Happy birthday, Lea! How old are you?"

"I'm five." This was clearly making her day. Lea was smiling, no, she was radiating from her happiness.

"Would it be all right if I sang for you?" They were exiting the elevator now. It just so happens that they were all rooming on the same floor.

"That would be great, Daniel," said Darren.

"Would it be okay if I ran to my room and got my camera though? I would love to document this moment for Lea." Daniel agreed to this and they decided that they would take the picture in Darren's room. How would the other residents of the hotel react if they saw Daniel Radcliffe in the hallway?

"This is the best birthday _ever!"_ Daniel and Darren laughed at this. Daniel once again kneeled in front of Lea and took both of her hands.

_Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Lea, happy birthday to youuuuu._

Lea was blushing bright pink when he was done. Who could blame her? It was really any girls dream come true. Daniel was getting ready to leave once the pictures and autographs were done when Lea stopped him because he needed to tell him something "absolutely and positively important".

"I know that you're going to be on Broadway, Daniel, and I wanted you to know that my daddy sings and dances and acts, too. I think he would be really good!" Darren turned away to try and hide his embarrassment.

"Well, actually…we are trying to find someone to play Bud Frump in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. If you're really up for it and really have what it takes, then it would be great if you could audition." Darren couldn't believe it. His dreams of acting might come true?

"Are you serious? I would love that! When are the auditions?" Darren couldn't believe his luck tonight. He had reconnected with his daughter, met Daniel Radcliffe, and now had a possible job offering lined up. Daniel wasn't sure of when the auditions were so they both exchanged numbers and agreed to meet the next morning for breakfast to talk things over.

"Oh, Daniel, before you go! I think you would like to see what I got Lea for her birthday." Darren took out a gold box with a black ribbon tied around it and handed it to Lea.

"Open it. I hope you love it." Lea opened it to find two tickets to see How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying in the spring of 2011. Darren had been in contact with Nancy and John Wolvak for a month or so before Lea's birthday. He had called every day for four weeks to make sure he knew everything about Lea that he could; her favorite movie, color, book, song, etc. When Darren had learned that Lea loved Harry Potter he had known almost instantaneously what he would get her.

"OH MY GOODNESS, THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING PRESENT I'VE EVER GOTTEN! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Lea ran at her father and flung her arms around him.

"Aw man, that's great! What seats do you have? You know, I could probably get you backstage passes if you would like that." Daniel wound up staying with them longer than he had planned on. They discussed things such as what Harry Potter was like, how his play was coming along, and then just general things like how his day was. After Daniel left it was time for bed. Darren and Lea changed into pajamas. Once Lea was snuggled into her bed Darren began to read her the story book that they had brought along. Lea fell asleep around ten while Darren lay awake in his bed. He couldn't stop thinking about this new job offer. _Could I really handle being on Broadway? _It was the thought that ran through his mind until he fell asleep a little after one.

Darren awoke to the opening of number of _Beauty and The Beast _at eight o' clock in the morning. _Where am I?_ It only took a moment for Darren to recall Lea's birthday party the night before, meeting Daniel Radcliffe, and then about that acting job on Broadway.

"You're up! Want to watch a movie with me?" About halfway into the movie Darren's phone began to ring. It was Daniel, wanting to make breakfast plans. They settled on meeting at the hotel café at ten. Lea took a half hour perfecting her look and then another perfecting Darren's "shabby hobo" look in her own words. They left the room arm in arm looking, in one word, fabulous. Darren was dressed in a gray t-shirt, blue sweater, and blue jeans. Lea was in a white lace dress with a black sweater.

"Dad, remember, _be cool_." Lea had been repeating the same line to him for the past twenty minutes as if she really thought that Darren would embarrass her.

"Hey! I think I'm a pretty cool dad." Lea's hand flew to her mouth to cover her giggles.

"Dads can't be cool! Only _kids, _Daddy. Gosh, I thought you knew that." Darren picked her up and put her around his shoulders.

"Am I cool now?" Lea was in full on hysterics now. She managed to make out "put me down!" between fits of laughter. They arrived at the café at exactly ten. It was nicer than Darren had expected it to be. One wall was covered in stained glass and the one opposite of it was painted a pretty cream color. The bar was in the very back of the café and tables were arranged in rows of seven. There were small round tables that seated two, medium square tables that seated four, and then there were booths against the cream wall that seated six. Daniel was seated in a booth with his head down. He was clearly trying to look inconspicuous yet he failed. Two girls (they appeared to be around the age of fourteen) approached the table. Darren was waiting for the screaming to start, but all they did was thank Dan for being the talented actor that he was and for making movies that made people smile. Neither of them asked for a picture or autograph, although they got just that. Dan told them how sweet they were and offered to take a picture with the girls. Darren and Lea approached the table once the girls were gone.

"Good morning!" Daniel had this sort of way about him that made him so appealing and interesting to be with.

"Hi, Daniel! How are you?"

"Hello, Lea. I'm doing very well. How are you, may I ask?" Darren was starting to think that he and Lea should win the blushing award.

"I'm good!" squeaked Lea. Most of the conversation before the food arrived revolved around what being in How to Succeed would be like for Darren and good audition tactics that Daniel likes. However, once the food arrived (chocolate chip pancakes for Lea and eggs benedict for Daniel and Darren), the conversation turned serious.

"Look, Darren…I'm sure that you can really sing and act, but you've got to be serious about this. I don't doubt that you are, and I guess what I'm saying is that you really need to prove it to the director and the producers when you audition. They won't take in someone who just wants to do it. They're looking for people who _need _to do it." The plates were cleared at around eleven, as Daniel had to catch a plane back to New York in two hours.

"It was great meeting you, Daniel. Thank you for everything, really…it means a lot."

"I hope to see you at the audition! The director told me that he would call you tomorrow when you get back to New York." Daniel turned to Lea and opened his arms into which she ran and hugged.

"Happy birthday again, Lea. I trust that I'll be seeing you again in February when you come to How to Succeed!" They parted ways at the entrance to the hotel.

"Ready to go, Lee?" Darren stuck his hand out to hold Lea's as they walked back to the car and was shocked when he looked down to see Lea crying. The first thought he had was that she had scraped something, but then Darren realized that she had not fallen in the last moment or so.

"Lea! What's wrong, honey?"

"I—I d-don't want you t-to…gooo!" Darren had nearly forgotten that he was leaving London that night. They had been having such a great time that neither of them realized that they had such limited time together. Darren was crying now too.

"We're going to make the best of today, okay?"

_How do I say goodbye this time? _Was the only thing running through Darren's mind for the rest of the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry I haven't updated in a while! Hopefully I'll get this story on a schedule. Enjoy!  
>Disclaimer: I am in no way affliated with Darren Criss, Chris Colfer, or FOX.<p>

"There they are!" Nancy Wolvak swept Lea into an enormous bear hug before kissing Darren once on both cheeks. Darren smiled sadly and willed himself not to cry. _Not now. Not here. This isn't the place. In a few minutes you'll be back in your cab and you'll be free to do all the crying that you please. Just not here._

"Did you two have fun today?" asked John Wolvak. Darren looked away from Lea and met eyes with John. It was clear to Darren that John knew; he knew that every second in this house was killing him.

"Yes! It was soooo fun," It was the little things that Darren noticed. The way Lea always drew out her "so's" and twirled her hair around her finger when she was sad.

"First we went on the London Eye and it was sooo awesome except Daddy was really scared and that was really funny and then after that we went to feed the ducks in the pond and they were sooo cute and—" Lea stopped to catch her breath before continuing with her rant. She looked up at Darren when she was done, almost as if she was looking for his approval that she had done the story of their day justice. Darren smiled down at her and nodded.

"It sounds like you two had fun! John and I were just preparing dinner. Lea, your mother is coming to get you around seven so you're going to eat here. Darren, would you like—" John cleared his throat loudly and whispered something to Nancy. Nancy shook her head knowingly and turned back to Darren.

"Would you like a few minutes alone with Lea?" Darren nodded his thanks and the couple exited the room solemnly.

"Daddy?" Lea was trying to get Darren's attention by tugging on the bottom of his trench coat.

"Yes, Lea?"

"I know this is hard for you and I know you feel bad leaving, but you shouldn't. These two days have been the best days of my life!" Her matureness never seemed to fail Darren. Darren bent down so that he was at eye level with Lea.

"Lea, my darling, I'm so sorry that I have to leave again. I promise this time I will be back as soon as I can. I love you ever so much. Never forget that." Darren planted a kiss on Lea's forehead before standing.

"Daddy…I want to come to New York with you," Lea said the second part very quickly. She began pacing around the threshold.

"I've been thinking about it a lot and I could live with you in your house! I could go to school there and make new friends. Wouldn't that be fun, Daddy? We could have days like this every day!" She was so excited that it physically pained Darren that he would have to disappoint her. Again. No matter what he did and no matter how hard he tried, he would never be a good father.

"Sweetheart, I wish it was that easy. I would like nothing more than to have you come home with me. But you're forgetting about your mother and your grandparents. What would they do without you? You're needed here, honey." Lea's eyes filled with tears and she began to back away from Darren.

"Mommy was right! You don't want me and you don't love me! That's why you never came to see me and that's why you're going to leave again!" Lea turned her back on Darren and dashed out of the threshold. Darren heard a door slam and he knew it was time to go. The second he was out of the cab and in the safety of his room he let the body rocking sobs take over. All he had ever wanted in his life was a family. He didn't care about being famous or having lots of money. He wanted someone to love and be love back, whether it be a child, a partner, or both.


End file.
